Battle of Charlotte

The Battle of Charlotte (26 September 1780) was a skirmish of the American Revolutionary War that was fought between Tarleton's Raiders (commanded by George Hanger) and William Richardson Davie's militia. Hanger was wounded in the skirmish, and Tarleton's Raiders were severely impaired by the loss of its second leader.

In 1780, following the Battle of Camden, the British general Charles Cornwallis decided to march north with his army to destroy the remnants of the Continental Army in North Carolina, believing Georgia and South Carolina to be secure. In mid-September, Cornwallis began moving towards Charlotte, and Patriot militia commander William Richardson Davie decided to ambush Cornwallis' vanguard at the small town of Charlotte. As his favorite cavalry commander, Banastre Tarleton, was ill, Cornwallis sent Tarleton's second-in-command George Hanger to cautiously enter Charlotte and check it for militia, which he expected to be in the area.

Hanger went against Cornwallis' orders by cheerfully galloping into town with his cavalry, and 20 men behind a house on the southern road opened fire. Hanger continued his trot until the militia behind a stone wall opened fire, and, when the first line of militia began to switch places with the second line, Hanger, interpreting this redeployment as a retreat, led a charge. This brought the British into a withering crossfire, and Hanger was wounded. The Americans retreated as the main body of the British army arrived, and Hanger fell ill shortly after the battle. Instead of advancing on Hillsboro, Cornwallis occupied Charlotte. His left flank would be destroyed at the Battle of Kings Mountain on 7 October, and Cornwallis would be forced to retreat to South Carolina to deal with increased partisan activity there.